I really miss having an 'equal' shot at getting my reservations

[jarestel]

This discussion crops up from time to time whenever someone is unable to get exactly what they want. The old system is gone and won't be returning and that's pretty much a given.

I would hazard an educated guess that the current system won't be the last one DVC implements either. If we've learned anything from the past few years, it should be that change is inevitable.

Best advice I've heard here is "Be flexible".

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I'm not sure they could eliminate it "legally", I'd have to review the POS to see what parts are applicable to this issue to determine the possibilities there. What they could do would be to use options in place like lottery or the special season list declaring it special all the time. The other option would be to allocate additional 5th floor rooms as concierge since they can "legally" add but not subtract in many areas related to the POS.

Adding additional rooms to the category is a nice thought. If I have any grasp of how points are allocated, and I'm not stating that I do, it might have been fairly easy to accomplish when they changed the view designation for a few of the Savanna views down to Standard views.

BUT....If you walk a reservation, you are still calling daily to change it one day at a time.

Nope - you don't have to. You only have to stay in advance of the 11 month window so that could be an additional call a week, not daily.

 

[jpeka65844]

I totally don't understand any of this. Walking.....not walking, I don't get it.

When I've called to make a ressie, if they don't have what I need when and where I want, I find another option. I've never considered any alternate methods. Too hard.

That being said, if we're planning an arrival for Dec 1, 2011-Dec 6, my booking window opens on Jan 2, 2011? I'm assuming MS won't be open on the holiday.

We'll be trying for VWL which is in high demand this time of year and I want to make sure I'll at least be calling on the right day. Maybe I better learn how to walk a ressie!

 

[DebbieB]

That being said, if we're planning an arrival for Dec 1, 2011-Dec 6, my booking window opens on Jan 2, 2011? I'm assuming MS won't be open on the holiday.

We'll be trying for VWL which is in high demand this time of year and I want to make sure I'll at least be calling on the right day. Maybe I better learn how to walk a ressie!

Yes, that is correct, January 2.

 

[LIFERBABE]

Wanted to add, that I called this morning at 9:25 am and there was 1 AK CL studio left for the Sep 30 2011 check in date. I took too long, and it was booked while I was on the phone. No biggie, I booked my other home BCV instead.
So not everyone is walking and it does not happen as often as portrayed here.
I booked 2 weeks AK CL for this Christmas and did not need to walk the reservation. We prefer not to move especially during the holidays

 

[CarolMN]

It seems the only real issues with the "book before check in" system is for the AKV concierge rooms.

I would hate to see the system changed just for those 5 two bedroom lock off units. (I know THV seem to be a problem for some times of the year, but only 30 of the 60 have been declared. Once all are declared, I predict SSR owners will not have a problem booking at 11 months).

Perhaps DVC can just institute a lottery (only for AKV owners who will stay there themselves) for the concierge rooms. For example, you email your requests for December 2011 no later than 12/01/2010. DVC does the "drawing" and sends a confirming email to the winners. If you don't get your dates, then you still have time to book something else at your 11 month window. They could do the same thing going forward on a monthly basis. Since there is language in the POS re a "Special Seasons Lottery", I think they could legally do this.

IMO, the only viable alternatives are to charge $$ for every night added or dropped, or make every reservation date change a cancel /rebook, with any nights cancelled having to clear a waitlist before being eligible for rebooking.

IMO, Those types of changes would hurt more members than it would help.

 

[Dean]

The current system is much better overall than the previous one but it is not perfect, there isn't any option that will truly satisfy everyone.

Exactly. Really, there is no difference between walking a reservation and calling day by day the old way. Instead of calling day by day 7/11 months out, now you just call day by day 7/11+7days out and walk the reservation. It doesn't change anyone's ability to put in the effort to get what they want by calling day by day, but it does allow a lot of people to make just one call if they have their week set.

Let go of the moral apprehension to walking reservations. It is allowed by the rules that we all play by. Nobody is getting more of an upperhand than anyone else, cause anyone can do it. Just think of the booking window now being 7/11+7days out

It really depends on the length of your stay and how many days you start ahead. Plus you don't have to call every day to do so since no one could have a reservation in the room you have reserved while you have it until 11 months prior to that particular day.

Circumventing the "rules" just because the system allows it makes it unfair for everyone.

As noted, it is within the rules though I don't feel it should be though likely for different reasons than most here look at it. Anything that encourages multiple calls increases MS costs and therefore, our dues. As I noted, it is my belief that a change should be a cancelation and rebooking just like I think you should go to the back of the line at WM if you have to go back to the shelves to exchange something while in the check out line.

There was never a requirement to book every day individually. You could book 11 months out from check out day. They moved it from your check OUT day to your check IN day.

And if you want a longer stay than 7 nights, you still have to call every day to add the extra days to make sure you get them.

Requirement no, necessity yes, for the options that are an issue now.

The most sensible change in the current reservation system would be to allow people to book as many nights as they want. The seven night limit does not make sense, especially going forward as Disney increases it's number of overseas members.

People coming from overseas are much more likely to stay more than 7 nights. It's not very fair or customer friendly not allowing them to book in one go their entire length of stay.

Other timeshares allow you to book more than one week at a time, why not Disney?


The current restrictions are not efficient and are costing every DVC member extra in annual dues.

Most timeshare that allow points type booking do allow longer but not unlimited. 2 weeks is the number that sticks in my mind from some systems. Also, most of them have other checks and balances including changes are a cancelation, fees for cancelations, etc.

Adding additional rooms to the category is a nice thought. If I have any grasp of how points are allocated, and I'm not stating that I do, it might have been fairly easy to accomplish when they changed the view designation for a few of the Savanna views down to Standard views.

I don't think it'd be difficult to do, the views from the 5th floor are better and there's easy access to the lounge. Also, they do this already (allow concierge access) when there are conflicts or as compensation where applicable.

 

[gkrykewy]

They certainly did NOT send a confirmation for every day in a day by day reservation. You told the CM you were adding a day to a reservation in progress each day and at the end of the reservtion, THEN they sent a confirmation for the whole thing.

Walking doesn't take more time than a regular reservation. If you call a week in advance and then call a week later to walk the reservation, you have the reservation you want. Two calls instead of one.

What's the advantage to doing that if your dates are a week apart?

 

[dclfun]

I hate the new system, and flame me if you will, but walking a reservation is cheating/working the system and blocks other members unfairly. I don't want to play a game and book days I don't want just so I can move my ressie a day at a time. You still have to call day by day to do this, so why not go back to the old system? Perhaps once everything is online then life will be easier. I didn't buy DVC to be under stress about what should be a stress-free vacation.---Kathy

 

[tjkraz]

I don't think it'd be difficult to do, the views from the 5th floor are better and there's easy access to the lounge. Also, they do this already (allow concierge access) when there are conflicts or as compensation where applicable.

The POS does state that DVC member access to the concierge lounge is limited to those booked into concierge villas. I'm not entirely certain what leeway DVC has in that regard to expand the concierge accommodations. The language appears to be at least partially designed to protect the rights of non-DVC hotel management. They certainly don't want DVC members overcrowding the lounge and lessening the experience of cash guests paying hundreds of dollars per night for concierge accommodations.

Part of the issue with concierge accommodations is the exclusive savanna tours offered to guests in that room/villa category. There are certainly people who book concierge just to be able to get that savanna tour. Disney could address that problem to some extent by opening up the tour to all DVC members--subject to availability, of course. I'm sure the 5 CL villas would still be rented on a daily basis, but the 11 month demand would be reduced to some degree.

I hate the new system, and flame me if you will, but walking a reservation is cheating/working the system and blocks other members unfairly.

In that regard it's no different than the old system. Booking day-by-day was never disclosed in official membership documents. Everything distributed by DVC always said "11 months from the check-out date".

Walking and day-by-day are equally unofficial/cheating/working/gaming the system.

I don't want to play a game and book days I don't want just so I can move my ressie a day at a time. You still have to call day by day to do this, so why not go back to the old system?

Day-by-day bookings had become so widespread that it was costing a lot of money. Back when DbD was allowed, on these forums (and others) hardly a day would go by without posters recommending that folks call day by day for ANY reservation.

It's easy to forget but there was a time when people grew more and more fearful over the size of DVC membership, threats from SSR members...whatever the situation may have been. The common perception was that if you waited until the end of the week to call--for just about ANY resort and ANY time of the year--you wouldn't get what you wanted.

So more and more bookings went from one phone call to 5 or 6 or 7 phone calls, expenses rose dramatically. And the new system have thus far proven that, except for a VERY small number of units/dates, day-by-day calls were completely unnecessary.

"Walking" reservations has the potential for similar cost increases but it's not nearly as widespread at this point. It's not particularly necessary, either.

 

[Inkmahm]

What's the advantage to doing that if your dates are a week apart?

I can book for a week and call a week later to move that week forward. I've walked the reseration that way for one week. You could start as many weeks early as you want.

 

[Inkmahm]

I hate the new system, and flame me if you will, but walking a reservation is cheating/working the system and blocks other members unfairly. I don't want to play a game and book days I don't want just so I can move my ressie a day at a time. You still have to call day by day to do this, so why not go back to the old system? Perhaps once everything is online then life will be easier. I didn't buy DVC to be under stress about what should be a stress-free vacation.---Kathy

You don't have to call day by day to do this unless you're booking a reservation that is only one day long in total. Not sure why that is so hard to understand.

 

[gkrykewy]

I can book for a week and call a week later to move that week forward. I've walked the reseration that way for one week. You could start as many weeks early as you want.

Yeah, but if you're moving it a full 7 days forward, how is that an advantage over just calling on the day you actually want. If there's no overlap in the dates, then you aren't actually holding the room... No?

 

[BeccaG]

I guess I am confused why some are so convinced that so many DVC members were calling day by day under the old system. We are such a small portion of total DVC membership here on these boards, do we really think that many folks are as type A as us (myself included) to insure their vacations 11 months away and call day by day? I just find it unlikely. Maybe some folks have access to some hard numbers that prove otherwise.
I am guessing the folks who called day by day are the same folks who now walk, or at least occasionally do.

 

[BeccaG]

Yeah, but if you're moving it a full 7 days forward, how is that an advantage over just calling on the day you actually want. If there's no overlap in the dates, then you aren't actually holding the room... No?

Agreed. Otherwise I don't see the advantage.....

 

[nytimez]

It seems the only real issues with the "book before check in" system is for the AKV concierge rooms.

I would hate to see the system changed just for those 5 two bedroom lock off units.

And sorry, but I can't really sympathize if you're only willing to stay in concierge.

 

[Dean]

I guess I am confused why some are so convinced that so many DVC members were calling day by day under the old system. We are such a small portion of total DVC membership here on these boards, do we really think that many folks are as type A as us (myself included) to insure their vacations 11 months away and call day by day? I just find it unlikely. Maybe some folks have access to some hard numbers that prove otherwise.
I am guessing the folks who called day by day are the same folks who now walk, or at least occasionally do.

Because they were. Every BBS advised it, most every member who was aware enough to book at 11 months out did it, and the CM suggested it because there was a good chance you wouldn't get what you wanted if you didn't. The new system will help some but not as much as other changes could.

 

[tjkraz]

I guess I am confused why some are so convinced that so many DVC members were calling day by day under the old system. We are such a small portion of total DVC membership here on these boards, do we really think that many folks are as type A as us (myself included) to insure their vacations 11 months away and call day by day? I just find it unlikely. Maybe some folks have access to some hard numbers that prove otherwise.
I am guessing the folks who called day by day are the same folks who now walk, or at least occasionally do.

It's anecdotal evidence for certain but talk of day-by-day bookings was quite widespread back in its day. Any inquiry on the boards about "should I book DbD" was met with a resounding yes. Standard views...grand villas...smaller resorts...holiday periods...there was seemingly justification to recommend DbD for any resort, any villa, any dates.

Even on unrelated threads about availability or reservations, someone would chime-in with a DbD recommendation.

It had even reached beyond the boards. Member Services reps were well known for RECOMMENDING the DbD process to callers whenever they had problems booking. Couldn't get BWV Standard View at 7 months? Try calling day-by-day next time! From their perspective, it was both a way to pacify the member and a self-serving means to keep call volumes up.

By comparison, it's relatively rare that "walking" comes up. Every couple of months there's a thread like this but nothing remotely similar to the DbD recommendations.

Beyond that, it seems obvious the reason the rule was changed was to eliminate the day-by-day booking practice. The only reason they haven't tweaked the rules to discourage "walking" is that it hasn't yet reached epidemic stages.

 

[gamomof2]

I don't think this is the only place where people are up on it enough to know that to get a hard to book reservation you had to book each day as is freed up in the computer system. Case in point: at our daughter's soon to be college there is a hotel right on campus. In high demand during orientation week, move in weekend and homecoming. It was told to me when we toured this school to start calling the hotel each morning of the year before these dates in order to secure them all. Sound familiar.

I'm concerned because in 2012 we want to go to the Hawaii resort and for 10 days. Not much room to maneuver if I can't get my dates. So I will book my first week and then be calling the next three mornings to add on. Hopefully.

 

[disneygrandma]

I haven't read thru the entire thread, but I know what others are going thru when a certain villa, during specified dates, is what your family has been planning on for months before your booking window opened. So far, I've been lucky to get exactly what we wanted when I called at the 11 mo mark, and even the 7 mo mark. However, that meant calling DbD for a BCV 2 bdrm/2 QN under the old system. For our last family trip, we planned split stays & I was on the phone exactly at the time I needed to be, and so nervous that I was shaking. I was certain that I wouldn't get our AKV-CL, but I did! I'm one of those people that is willing to call when MS opens, whether it be DbD under the old system, or at the 11 or 7 mo marks under the new system.

However, with online reservations coming up, I'm really nervous!! I'm fearful that getting what we want is going to be harder. I feel that with everyone having to call MS to book when MS opens, then we're all on an even playing field. Will online reservations be available on the 11 mo mark hours before MS opens? Will they be available on holidays when MS is closed? Will the more computer savy people, with higher tech computer systems, get the jump on someone who has a slower system? Will the online reservation system allow you to book several villas at once? Are there programs out there that will allow some individuals to "scoop up" all the AKV-CL villas, for instance?

I make 90% of our non-WDW travel reservations online. However, I'm very afraid of what is going to happen when DVC reservations become available online. Does anyone have info on exactly how this will work? Please help ease my fear over reservations that my daughter's family wants at BLT next October, that I will need to make at the 7 mo mark.